VILNIUS NEWS

This summer, from 14 July to 17 August, Vilnius Airport (VNO) will be closed for runway reconstruction. During this time, the majority of regular flights to Vilnius will be redirected to Kaunas Airport (KUN), which is only one hour away from Vilnius and has convenient public transport connections to Vilnius city center. All the information about about transportation options, durations and prices between Kaunas Airport and Vilnius is provided on our website.

During this period, we'll have two extra Tourist Information Centers for your convenience. One will be located in Kaunas Airport and will offer the most up-to-date information about the transportation timetables and related questions. The other one will be located in hotel Panorama, just next to the Bus Station and the Bus Stop where you'll arrive from Kaunas Airport.

If you want to experience the best of Vilnius and see some of our most beautiful sites, join our ‘Discover Vilnius Old Town’ walking tour. Tours take place daily at 11 a.m., and are held in English, German and Russian.

All you need is “Telia Nonmuseum” and just 15 minutes of your time to get to know Vilnius history. History does not hide behind a dusty glass here. For this once, a time travel will happen around you. Sit back and enjoy lasers and projections reviving the most iconic moments of Vilnius history: city’s triumphs and tragedies, architectural masterpieces, the most famous works of art that were created by the local artists and the most intriguing stories of our townspeople from 2 of June at Vokiečių street 4.

Don't get lost in a narrow streets of Vilnius Old Town. A newly published official city map will guide you. You can find it at Vilnius tourist information centres and hotels. Also you can download from our website.

If you’re a fan of panoramic views, you’re sure to appreciate that Vilnius has a number of lookouts that reward visitors with a bird’s-eye view of the city. Take to the sky atop one of our bell towers, or scale the hills surrounding the Old Town to watch the sun set over the city.

VILNIUS NEWS

The UK Post Office’s 9th Annual City Costs Barometer ranks Vilnius the second most affordable city on their latest list. The 2017 City Costs Barometer surveyed 36 cities across Europe and determined their rankings by performing a comparative cost analysis.

Following the success of last year’s project to name the best three dozen restaurants in Lithuania, the 30 Best Restaurants projects takes off again this year. A shortlist of 60 restaurants was announced. Of these shortlisted candidates, 30 winners will be chosen for the 2017 edition of the project. It is worth noting that 22 of the shortlisted candidates are new to the project for 2017.

On the 6th of May the Ancient Baltic tribes will revive on the banks of the Neris River beside the White bridge of Vilnius. Several medieval reenactor groups and an 11th century Viking ship will invite passengers to go on a time journey and experience the story of the Europe's last pagan tribes in the Viking times.

VILNIUS NEWS

Kaziukas Fair in Vilnius celebrates the beginning of spring and is the biggest fair of handmade works from across Lithuania, attracting thousands of visitors annually. This fair has a special spirit; tradition and authenticity are very important here since Kaziukas Fair is not only the biggest, but also the oldest event of its type in Vilnius.

One year before the proclamation of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanian statehood in Vilnius – from this 16th February until 16th February next year, daily at 19 hours 18 minutes – trumpet player Laurynas Lapė and his students will perform the composition “Dear Lithuania” for Vilnius residents and guests from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.

VILNIUS NEWS

As Finnair Flight AY 131 from Helsinki descended into Vilnius 28 December, the pilot informed the passengers that their plane was carrying the one millionth visitor to Vilnius this year – a new record for the Baltic capital. Jenni U. was the lucky one – her ticket designated her the one millionth visitor to Vilnius this year.

The Vilnius City Card project, which is now in its eighth successful year, will again contribute to welcoming visitors to Vilnius. In 2017, the Vilnius City Card will offer visitors even more free leisure activities.

January is the high season for presenting Vilnius to foreign tourists. During this month specialists at Vilnius Tourist Information Centre will present the city to potential visitors at three international fairs: Matka Nordic Travel Show in Helsinki in Finland, Reiseliv 2017 in Oslo in Norway, and Holiday World Show Dublin 2017 in Dublin in Ireland.

An exciting and informative Education Programme is on offer for CONVENE 2017. This year’s list of guest speakers features a number of international meetings industry figures from around Europe who are eager to share and inspire industry professionals from across the Baltic Sea Region.

Experience Festive Walking Tours

This tour begins at 11:00 at the festively decorated Cathedral Square, where a Christmas crib is on display. It continues with a walk through the festively decorated Old Town and ends near the old City Gates. Tours will take place:December 28 – December 31 in EnglishDecember 28 – January 7 in Russian

VILNIUS NEWS

Let‘s Celebrate World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day is internationally celebrated on September 27, and all of us in Vilnius wish you an unforgettable visit to our city should you be here! The theme for 2016, is the promotion of cities being universally accessible to everyone.

Boutique hotel chain, Design Hotels, confirmed it will open one of its hotels in Vilnius Old Town in early 2018. Housed in the former Pac Palace next to the Town Hall, the five-star hotel will have 105 rooms with 13 suites, and five apartments. Other facilities will include four conference rooms, a restaurant, plus a fitness centre and spa.

VILNIUS NEWS

Between September 2-4, Vilnius will celebrate Sostinės dienos 2016, or Capital Days. The organisers promise events all across the city that will warm up the season and raise everyone's mood heading into the colder months of the year.

If you want to experience the best of Vilnius and see some of our most beautiful sites, then join our ‘Discover Vilnius Old Town’ walking tour. Tours take place daily at 11 a.m. until 15 September, and are held in English, German and Russian.

Leading online travel company, expedia.co.uk, have launced their latest interactive tool, the “City Budget Planner”, which will help holidaymakers make their money go further. The UK wing of the travel giant carried out research to find the cost of accommodation, food and attractions in a number of cities, in order to develop this planning resource. Vilnius just happened to be one of those included!

VILNIUS NEWS

The best time to enjoy culture, art and music is after sundown. This year, Culture Night takes place on June 17 and we invite everyone to come and enjoy the best the best of Vilnius’ culture when in the dark. Around 200 various projects and events will take place in the city.

If you want to experience the best of Vilnius and see some our most beautiful sites, then we invite you to join our daily ‘Discover Vilnius Old Town’ walking tour. Tours will take place daily at 11 a.m., and are held in English, German and Russian.

VILNIUS NEWS

Vilnius Tourist Information Centre has renewed the audioguide. From now on, tourists shall have a possibility to discover the city in a more comfortable way. The audioguide provides a possibility to explore the city as if you are travelling with a guide, but it also lets you freely plan your time and route.

The fDI Intelligence division of the Financial Times has recently published its ranking of the European Cities of the Future, and in the key areas of economic development and attractiveness for foreign direct investment, Vilnius has secured third place in the mid-sized European cities category.

Vilnus City Card offers a perfect way to explore the city and see all the best in it in 24 or 72 hours. The card of 2016 offers even more discounts, helps to save money and shows what to do in the city.

VILNIUS NEWS

One of the most popular travel magazines National Geographic reccommends Vilnius as the best winter trip for this year. Come to Vilnius, join walking tours from the 29th December and celebrate the most beautiful holidays.

During the solemn ceremony, taking place at Vilnius Town Hall, the winners of “Vilnius Hospitality 2015” were awarded. Check the most hospitable hotel, restaurant, bar, museum, gallery, shop and tourism agency.

VILNIUS NEWS

27 November 21:00 – Christmas Tree Lighting Up Ceremony in Cathedral square27 November–27 December – Christmas Village in Cathedral square27 December – 40th Christmas Marathon31 December 23:30 – New Year Fireworks in Cathedral square6 January 16:30 – Three Kings Parade from Gates of Dawn

This tour begins at the festively decorated Cathedral Square, where a Christmas crib is on display. It continues with a walk through the festively decorated Old Town and ends near the old City Gates. Tours will take place:December 29 – January 4 in EnglishDecember 30 – January 9 in Russian

CONVENE which is acknowledged as having a genuine style and a deserved reputation for excellent organisation, takes place on 10-11 February 2016 at Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO in Vilnius, Lithuania. Building on the success of the three first editions, CONVENE 2016 will present the very high quality hospitality and all that Vilnius has to offer. Registration is already opened atwww.convene.lt

World famous Travel photographer Ralph Velasco is visiting Vilnius this week. Ralph Velasco is planning to discover the most beautiful sites in Vilnius and its surroundings, share the unique experiences and present Vilnius as a new tourist destination for the photography lovers.

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, implements its further expansion plans in Lithuania: 4th Airbus A320 aircraft is added to its base in Vilnius airport and started 5 new routes to Billund, Munich-Memmingen, Stockholm, Glasgow and Kyiv.

VILNIUS NEWS

All the independent travellers coming to Vilnius on their own and being eager to become acquainted with the city and to see its most beautiful sites, are welcome to join the tour “Discover Vilnius Old Town. Tours are being organised daily at 11:00 until 15 September.

International festival “Vilnius City Fiesta” is one of the most important multi-art form events in Vilnius. It’s the premier and most spectacular festival of Vilnius with a wide range of high-level entertainment.

A National Visitors’ Centre of Protected Areas is providing visitors with information on protected areas in Lithuania and abroad. Visitors are welcomed at the Centre by exposition “Protected Areas. Journey through the Circle of Life”’. Every exposition participant becomes an active participant capable to touch, listen, and feel.

VILNIUS NEWS

The Modern Art Center invites you to discover 15 talking statues in the heart of Vilnius, animated with the text and voices of some of Lithuania’s most prominent contemporary writers and performers. Just swipe your smartphone on the nearby tag and you have an incoming call!

Economy class hotel Campanile changes its brand and since July it will be called ibis Styles. It will be the first hotel under this brand in the capital city of Lithuania, one of the most important business and cultural centres in the Baltic region.

All the independent travellers coming to Vilnius on their own and being eager to become acquainted with the city and to see its most beautiful sites, are welcome to join the tour „Discover Vilnius Old Town“. Tours are being organised daily at 11:00 from 15 May to 15 September.

VILNIUS NEWS

All the independent travellers coming to Vilnius on their own and being eager to become acquainted with the city and to see its most beautiful sites, are welcome to join the tour ‘Discover Vilnius Old Town‘. Tours are being organised daily at 11:00 from 15 May to 15 September.

Vilnius is telling a story every moment: about breathtaking history of the city and colorful present days, people living in the city, their daily and special experiences. Let’s go to the most charming places of Vilnius with Photo Map together.

City guests and residents are invited to discover three new works of art – the sculptures that have been created and introduced as one more point of interest. Reveal Vilnius in a different way – in a good company with John Lennon, the Finn and Lithuanian Hound.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour Discover Vilnius Old Town. Tours are organised daily at 11:00 from 15 May to 15 September.

Vilnius residents and visitors choose the most hospitable hotels, restaurants, cafés, music clubs, bars, museums, galleries, shops, and tour guides of the year. Help us choose these spots-vote online www.vilniaussvetingumas.lt by September 30.

According to the international route development organisation Routesonline, the air capacity within and from Eastern Europe has risen by 97 per cent in the past ten years. The fastest growing gateway in Eastern Europe between 2010 and 2014 was Vilnius International Airport of Lithuania.

Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, Cyclocity Vilnius is a self-service bike rental system open to everyone. 37 stations are distributed throughout the city, so you are never far away from renting or returning a bike.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour „Discover Vilnius Old Town". During the first weekend of May join the tours in Polish and Russian.

From now on you can get to know the tourist attraction sites of Vilnius, Trakai and Kernavė by using new publications: "Bicycle routes", "Water Routes and Active Entertainment" and "Get to Know the Old Capitals of Lithuania".

Guests visiting Vilnius can already enjoy the advantages of Vilnius City Card 2015. Annually updated project started its new year with good news - brand new design of Vilnius City Card and bigger variety of discounts were introduced.

Get ready to travel! It is the only one international tourism, travel and active leisure exhibition in Lithuania, devoted to promoting tourism services and active lifestyle. ADVENTUR is a three-day entertaining mini-tour to magical world of travelling that helps to explore new places.

The third edition of Convene, a show that unlocks the Baltic Sea region for meeting and incentive planners', takes place on 11 and 12 February in Vilnius. The show will see an increased representation of countries with the Baltic Sea on their doorsteps when exhibitors from Denmark join their counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Belarus and Russia.

The organizers of the festival "Vilnius Comedy Fest" have planned 3 international and several Lithuanian shows of humour masters. All events are special; each covers a different genre of comedy: from stand up performances for young people to the laughter theatre for the whole family.

The 10th anniversary of the festival “Winter Screens” program has been dedicated to women. During the festival we will get acquainted with modern works of the female film directors and stories about women.

Shrovetide carnival is a traditional holiday, during which Shrove Tuesday mummers flood the Old Town to "drive out winter", and pancakes are cooked. At the end of the festivities, Morė (a symbol of winter disasters), is burned on a bonfire and people await the arrival of spring.

The Christmas Miracle is near! On 29 November everybody is being invited to come to the Cathedral square and see the main Christmas Tree of Lithuania! Visit Bernardine garden or Chistmas Market to try some delights or by a present for your loved ones. And do not miss the chance to ride the Christmas train! In December come to the Cathedral Square to see the 3D show ‘Christmas Dream‘. Warmest Thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season!

At the beginning of November, the Bastion of Vilnius Defense Wall, which was being renovated for about six years, opened its doors. In the Middle Ages it was the building serving a defensive purpose. At the end of the 2nd century - the Arsenal Museum. From 5 November, the main exposition of the 3rd Quadrennial 2014 (Q14) of Lithuanian contemporary art is exhibited in the Bastion of Vilnius.

Wonderful city of Vilnius invites you to the New Year celebration, which will flood the streets of the Old Town. Take part in walking tours and feel the festive mood! Tours are organized from 27 December 2014 to 11 January 2015 at 12 o‘clock. During the two-hour guided tour you will see the best that Vilnius has to offer. Tickets are available at Tourist Information Centres or at the Cathedral Belfry before the tour.

Having been in action for over two decades, the International Accordion Festival has sold-out halls and proved the true worth, of the accordion - especially its versatility and attractiveness. Today the accordion repertoire fascinates its audience with a variety of genres and its performers outstanding virtuosity and concert geography.

Euro Exhibition organized in the National Museum - the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania invites both adults and children to learn more about our country's new coming currency - the Euro. Visitors of the exhibition will be able to gain more knowledge about the history of the Euro, banknote design, production, protective measures, and destruction of worn-out money as well as to learn how to distinguish the real banknote from the fake.

Troubles seem to disappear, since the heart is filled with joy, optimism and happiness. Try to preserve these feelings as long as possible by visiting the Christopher Christmas concerts - and winter will not tire you up!

International festival Vilnius City Fiesta is one of the most important multi-art form events in Vilnius. It's the premier and the most spectacular festival of Vilnius with high artistic level actions dedicated to all citizens and city guests.

Air Lituanica Autumn Schedule – More Comfortable for Business Travellers

Over the summer season Air Lituanica has improved its forecasts for the passenger traffic - during the summer months the total number of passengers carried by Air Lituanica is to reach 45.000. In autumn the company shall offer 42 regular outbound flights from Vilnius airport.

Following the data of Statistics Lithuania, in the first six months of this year accommodation institutions of Vilnius accepted more than 424 000 guests. Сomparing to the same period of 2013, the number of guests increased 14.4 percent. Among top ten countries from which the majority of Vilnius guests arrived from, are the following ones: the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Norway, the USA and Estonia.

Vilnius Music Week is a unique event that will merge national and regional musical life as well as interests and goals into a one massive event. Vilnius Music Week suits everyone‘s taste – music lovers‘, professionals‘, fans‘, and those who seek valuable and perspective cooperation.

St James Festival will take place in Vilnius and other Lithuanian cities on 7-28 September. City guests and residents will be able to listen to the most famous Lithuanian professional choirs, such as the state choir Vilnius, Siauliai state chamber choir Polifonija, Vilnius chamber music ensemble Musica Humana, Kaunas vocal ensemble Acusto. The festival will present a total of 13 concerts that will be held in the Church of St Philip and St James.

Other circus - the new circus is going to settle under the roof of Arts Printing House already for the ninth time. The audience will have a chance not only to see the performance, but also will be provided with a great food for thought.

“nowJapan” – the biggest traditional and contemporary Japanese culture festival in the Baltic States. The festival aims at bringing all the variety Japan has to offer for a week-long stay in Vilnius. The ever growing in both scope and scale, “nowJapan” invites all its guests to embrace both the innovative modern and the traditional Japanese music. The festival offers to reveal the undiscovered parts of Japan during various prezentations, lectures, exhibitions, and workshops.

Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon invites everyone to experience the biggest running celebration in Lithuania - a great variety of running events, a scenic route through all of the capital's most beautiful streets and a day you will never forget! Accept the challenge and become a part of an extraordinary day on Sunday, 14 September.

Whether you are looking for a perfect place to have breakfast, celebrate a special occasion or have a midnight snack – find all the answers with “Tasty Vilnius” map. This guide provides the most necessary information about the city‘s best restaurants, bars, cafes and other venues that are there to help you fall in love with Vilnius more and more.

As the interest of Lithuanian residents and business representatives in the Scandinavian countries is growing, the airline Air Lituanica undertakes to fill the gap of communication with the region of Western Denmark and Southern Sweden. This summer the airline expanded its flight portfolio adding three new routes: Gothenburg (Göteborg), Billund and Malmö.

Lithuanian Song Festival – the country's most important cultural event, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and making the name of the country famous all over the world. Performers presenting folk songs, dances and theater programs as well as crafts in Vilnius on 2-6 July 2014 will say “It‘s my home”.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour Discover Vilnius Old Town. The guide will be waiting in the Cathedral square near the belfry from 15 May to 15 September. Tickets are available before the tour.

Music playing all night long from an abandoned backyard in Vilnius Old Town, never-ending movie screening in the middle of the meadow at the White Bridge, concerts, performances, exhibitions, creative workshops, and installations taking place on the streets, squares, and the most unexpected spaces, restless dancers, trampling pavements... The entire city is filled with music, colors, lights, and smiles. All this is the Culture Night.

“Rasos” (Joninių) Festival is held in Verkių Park according to the ancient Lithuanian customs that have been preserved from the old times. The traditions include singing songs and dancing until the sun sets, searching the magic fern blossom at midnight, jumping over bonfires. The Festival greets the rising summer.

The State Day of Lithuania is a national holiday. On the 6th of July 1253 the first and the only one Lithuanian king – Mindaugas was crowned. Vilnius citizens celebrate coronation of King Mindaugas Day with a series of cultural activities, concerts, folk dance performances.

Unique summer terrace is located in unusual industrial yard for the whole summer and is hosting different events every night for free. Most of the events present new & fresh musicians from Lithuania and abroad. Moreover, this terrace has many leisure activities such as badminton, table games, climbing area, children corner.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour Discover Vilnius Old Town. The guide will be waiting in the Cathedral square near the belfry from 15 May to 15 September. Tickets are available before the tour:

Vilnius Cathedral Belfry was closed the entire decade; during the last three years architectural research and restoration work was conducted. Residents and guests of Vilnius will be able to see exposition of bells, the old clock of the city, explore the historic pictures of the reconstruction of Belfry and the Cathedral.

Vilnius presents the new service for tourists – the bus ride HOP ON HOP OFF. With the 24 or 48 hour ticket one can ride the bus, get off at any stop and continue the journey later. The bus route has 6 stops located near the major tourist attractions and hotels. The tourists can also use the audio guide service (11 languages) inside the buses.

We invite you to travel in the center and the Old Town of Vilnius by the orange ‘Cyclocity’ bike. Vilnius Tourist Information Centre has prepared a route with a map which specifies 52 points: museums, galleries, churches, monuments and other places of interest. You can visit these places riding a bicycle and then leaving it at special stops.

Explore Vilnius' culinary pleasures! The Culinary Route is an idea to see the city with the possibility to enjoy its culinary variety. Taste Lithuanian dishes and buy Lithuanian products as a souvenirs.

Burbuliatorius (Bubble your city) is an annual open source urban event, which takes place in different world cities the same day, every second Monday, at 18.30 in summer and September. All you need is to bring soap bubbles to the announced place in your city and to bubble it. It aims to revitalize public spaces and to bring citizens together for creative activities.

The Vilnius Festival is one of the most prestigious, solid and versatile classical music events in Lithuania and a major summer destination for music-lovers during the hottest tourist season. With primary interest in presenting classical music from all over the world, the Vilnius Festival also continues to promote contemporary Lithuanian music and offers platform for jazz and musical theatre.

Vilnius Challenge is an urban adventure race that takes place in the heart of Vilnius for the 6th year in a row. Choose one of three courses – elite, sport or beginners to navigate tricky labyrinth of Vilnius old town, spend time in places that even old timers in Vilnius do not image of existing.

It is the fourth time this June when the International Contemporary Art Fair “ArtVilnius'14” is inviting all art lovers, collectors, artists, and visitors. The art fair will present 50 most prominent art galleries from Lithuania and foreign countries (Portugal, Latvia, France, Poland, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Denmark, Italy, etc.). The visitors will have an opportunity to see works of more than 500 artists and more than 2,000 latest art works.

Music playing all night long from an abandoned backyard in Vilnius Old Town, never-ending movie screening in the middle of the meadow at the White Bridge, concerts, performances, exhibitions, creative workshops, and installations taking place on the streets, squares, and the most unexpected spaces, restless dancers, trampling pavements… The entire city is filled with music, colors, lights, and smiles. All this is the Culture Night.

Herbs' Market takes place in Vilnius every year on the last weekend of June before the Rasos Festival. More than 100 herbalists, pharmacists and folk artists participate in it; Market is held so that city residents may have the opportunity to purchase ecological herbs, learn about how they are used and the traditional methods of healing.

With a view to promoting the capital of Lithuania abroad, Vilnius City Municipality has designed a new Vilnius city brand. The main news of the new communication strategy is Vilnius LOGIK – a tune of exceptional and unexpected attributes that are only incidental to the capital of Lithuania.

The airline Air Lituanica increases the number of flights on its routes on summer season schedule. Air Lituanica aircrafts will take off from Vilnius Airport 43 times a week. The new destinations on the summer season flight schedule – the Danish town Billund, Goteborg and Malmo in Sweden. Starting from 31 August the airline Air Lituanica launches daily flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The traditional 9th design week will be held in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai and Telsiai on May 5th-11th, 2014. The main topic for this design week is “Design=Innovation” conceived to reveal the importance of design process and outcome in product creation and development.

The traditional Europe Day Fair is organised in Vilnius on May 9-11. This year’s fair is dedicated to the forthcoming European Parliament elections. The European Restaurant Fair in Gediminas avenue will invite the visitors to get acquainted with the cuisines of different European countries.

International Contemporary Dance Festival “New Baltic Dance” during 18 years of its existence has grown up into one of the main and most prestigious dance festivals in the Baltic Sea area. Programme of the festival consists both of well established companies and new young companies/choreographers with experimental works.

Street Musician’s Day is the event which unites all who speak the world's most universal language – the language of music. On this day all Lithuanian cities and towns engage into the fest of free creation and socialising between musicians and the public. In 2012 and 2013, the Street Musician’s Day was celebrated by the Lithuanian world communities in Paris, Copenhagen, York, Nottingham, Tallinn and etc.

This festival has been taking place in Vilnius since 1973 and this is one of the very few authentic festivals of folk music in Europe. Being the eldest folk festival in Lithuania it had and still has a great influence on all lithuanian folk movement. Furthermore, the festival is a great opportunity to introduce our ethnic culture treasures to foreign folk groups as well as guests of Vilnius.

A city bike self-service system CycloCity Vilnius which was successfully launched last year will start this season a lot earlier than planned – the first bikes will show on the streets on April 1st. Until the middle of May there will be 36 self-service terminals installed in Vilnius: this accounts for 12 terminals more than last year. A system user's card can be updated or acquired in the second half of March.

This winter season Lithuanian airine “Air Lituanica” began flying to two new destinations – Paris and Tallinn. Charles de Gaulle Airport is one of the most important airports in the world which had not been connected by a direct flight from Vilnius. Therefore, this direct connection with the busiest air transport hub in Paris is very important for the development of Vilnius. From 12 March the airline AirLituanica launched flights on the new route to Tallinn. A dense flight schedule will facilitate travelling for business clients.

The recently updated Vilnius City Card invites to take part on excursions, travel by air balloons, rent bikes or cars, visit galleries, museums, enjoy health procedures, have a good time in theme parks and try out other entertainments. Tourists who acquired the card will be able to pick from even 96 discounts by categories of interest.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour “Discover Vilnius Old Town”. Tours will be organised in Russian and Polish from 26 April till 11 May. Tickets are available in Vilnius Tourist Information Centres (Vilniaus St. 22, Didžioji St. 31, Šventaragio St. 2) and at the Cathedral Belfry before the tour.

“Amber Trip” is a major specialised jewellery exhibition in the Baltic Sea Region. The very name of the exhibition highlights the significance of the “northern gold”, i.e. amber, one of the most beautiful and mysterious stones in the world. Articles from “solidified sun drops” are making up 50 percent of the jewellery articles presented during the exhibition. The other half of the articles – gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, pearls and etc.

Leading regional cinema event, the 19th Vilnius International Film Festival opens March 20 in Lithuania's capital. The festival has become known for its professionalism, introducing new, distinctive programs, and presenting the most exceptional films of the year. More than 230 films will be screened, including the latest movies from established, acclaimed directors, as well as stunning debuts.

Vernal Equinox events are held in the Valley of Šventaragis. With the help of candles schoolchildren compose different Baltic ornaments. The signs are accompanied by traditional music. In Kalnų Park a ritual is performed at the Altar – a fire of the Vernal Equinox is light up.

Each year in the first days of March, the Vilnius Old Town streets are flooded with the uproar of the weekend of Kaziukas (St. Casimir). It is abound with the attendance of folk artisans and craftsmen. The Kaziukas Fair attracts artists not only from the most remote Lithuanian places but also from neighbouring countries. The fair not only boasts with items for sale made by folk artisans, but also with events. Kaziukas Fair will be held in Vilnius 7–9 March.

CONVENE Offers Dynamic Professional Education for Meetings Planners and Suppliers

With Vilnius preparing to welcome its largest ever delegation of Meetings Industry buyers on 11 February, CONVENE 2014 expo organisers have announced an extensive professional education programme for Lithuanians involved in planning of, and supply meetings, conferences and events. CONVENE education programme will begin on 11 February, with the main exhibition running from 12 to 13 February.

The weather freezing, skiing tracks for beginners and for experienced skiers were opened at the Liepkalnis hill. Equipment hire can provide a necessary skiing package: skis, snowboards, boots, ski poles, helmets or separate items. You can also enjoy snow park, take a break or have lunch at the café.

In 2013 airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga together carried 3.48 million passengers, and handled 43 078 flights that year. Compared to 2012 the number of passengers of the three airports increased by 5.5% and flight volume grew by 3.4%. In summer of 2014 number of routes will continue to expand. “Wizz Air” will launch flights from Vilnius to Kutaisi and Greece, “Ukrainian International Airlines” will increase number of flights to Kiev, while “Turkish Airlines” – a number of flights to Istanbul.

Vilnius Book Fair celebrates its 15-year anniversary and at the same time it highlights the 300th birth anniversary of the most famous Lithuanian author and father of Lithuanian classical poetry Kristijonas Donelaitis. So, time-tested, classical books are the main topic of this year.

Shrovetide carnival is a traditional holiday, one of the merriest events in Lithuania. Its traditions clearly unify elements of culture before Christianity and during Christianity. From early morning people in costumes begin roaming – devils, witches, reapers, goats, Gypsies, beggars and others. In the evening people yell “winter, winter get out of my yard”, the “Morė” (a creature made of straw) is burned – the symbol of winter.

Warmest Thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday and a very Happy New Year!

We wish you all the love and happiness this season can bring, and may it follow you throughout the coming new year.

Vilnius Tourism & Convention Bureau

Join the Festive Walking Tours

Wonderful city of Vilnius invites you to the New Year celebration, which will flood the streets of the Old Town. Take part in walking tours and feel the festive mood! Tours are organized from 28 December 2013 to 5 January 2014 at 12 o‘clock. During the two-hour guided tour you will see the best that Vilnius has to offer. Tickets are available at Tourist Information Centres or at the Cathedral Belfry before the tour.

Visiting Vilnius in the festive month of December? Here are some of the highlights: Christmas market in the Cathedral square, Ice-rink in the Town Hall square, special Christmas Train, “3D Fairytail” show on the Vilnius Cathedral and, of course, New Year's Eve celebrations held in Vilnius's main square.

Traditional winter run starts in the very heart of Vilnius- Town Hall. One can choose from four distances – 12 km, 6 km, 3 km or relay-race, where where each member of the team will have to run 3 km. The little ones can join the “The Elf run”.

During the New Year‘s Eve State Choir “Vilnius” invites to playful and joyful bidding farewell to 2013 with festive program “Jazz-folk”, which gives to the audience joyful, pleasant and unforgettable moments.

Its holiday season and Christmas is just around the corner. So time for gifts, candies, and of course Santa Claus! Keep the whole family entertained in Trakai this Christmas. A complete range of Christmas events and activities are taking place from 7th December 2013 up to 12th January 2014, promising a memorable Christmas in Trakai for all.

On 9th January “Christmas festival” invites to Lithuanian National Philharmonic where pianist virtuoso and soloist of Moscow State Academic Philhamonic Vladimiras Ovčinikovas is going to perform a recital for grand-piano in the Great Hall.

CONVENEWS

2013 December

Dear CONVENE friends,

Seize the year! CONVENE team wishes you peaceful Christmas and a year full of on-time accomplished plans, well-planned and inspiring meetings, and breathtaking moments.

As this final newsletter of the year is being released, less than 60 days are left until the next CONVENE. What can you do in 60 days? If you have not yet registered for CONVENE, it is a timely decision to do so! The next, 60 days is a sufficient period to make best out of your preparation for the event.

Jolanta Beniuliene Exhibition Director

What's New?

By now, more than 90 confirmed hosted buyers and 67 exhibitors have already chosen to enjoy CONVENE features that provide real value to their business. The hosted buyer interest is notably high and further applications are still welcome!

On 10 December CONVENE offered training session "Making Trade Shows Pay" by meetings industry connoisseur Paul Kennedy MBE. The day after the session Paul Kennedy MBE unveiled some rules of thumb that are a worthwhile to know for every exhibitor or supplier at a live event – many of the tips are just as useful for any face to face & sales meeting.

Meet Them:

Latest News from CONVENE Partners

Seasonal Greetings Hotline

CONVENE opened a seasonal greetings hotline. Urgent delivery of seasonal greetings collection from our partners straight to your office including a special greeting straight from Santa Claus residing in Rovaniemi!

Stockholm offers the comforts of a big city, but with the cosiness of a small town - everything is within walking distance. In addition, Uppsala is just 38 minutes from Stockholm and is one of Sweden's four major cities.

The main Vilnius' Christmas Tree, which becomes the Christmas Tree for all Lithuania, is going to get lighted up in Cathedral Square on 30th of November at 17.00. Lighting up the Christmas Tree will be followed by an impressive show “Sounds of the Heaven”. At the same time main streets and the skating rink in the Town Hall Square will be lighted up by festive decorations.

This autumn a new video clip has been shot where Vilnius is introduced by young and talented creators. A fragment of the composer Gediminas Gelgotas' creation “What's Unrobotizable” performed by the New Ideas Chamber Orchestra NI&Co sounds in the three-minute long clip.

Every year, Vilnius hosts CONVENE – an only international exhibition and business contacts market highlighting the Baltic Sea Region that draws together conference and meeting suppliers, international buyers and local event organisers under one roof. Read an interview with Mrs. Jolanta Beniulienė, the direcеor of the Vilnius Tourism & Convention Bureфu and the organiser of the event.

Wonderful city of Vilnius invites you to the New Year celebration, which will flood the streets of the Old Town. Take part in walking tours and feel the festive mood! During the two-hour guided tour you will see the best that Vilnius has to offer. Tickets are available at Tourist Information Centres or at the Cathedral Belfry before the tour.

Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square was named one of the top 10 ‘Hot New Hotels' in the world by TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site. Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square was one of only two European hotels that made it on the list and ranked first in Europe and fifth in the world.

On November 16-30, 2013, the 3rd Vilnius Piano Music Festival will take place at the Lithuanian Philharmonic Society. The programme of the 3rd Vilnius Piano Music Festival features six concerts presenting top-class piano virtuosi, who will perform the established classical music opuses.

Troubles seem to disappear, since the heart is filled with joy, optimism and happiness. Try to preserve this feeling as long as possible by visiting the Christopher Christmas concerts – and winter will not tire you up.

The Christmas wonders are coming! Plan your trip to Vilnius and check the programme of festive events, which start from 30th November: take part at the Lighting up of the Christmas Tree, visit Christmas Village, take the Christmas Train or have fun on Ice skating rink and enjoy 3D animated fairytale on the walls of the Cathedral.

Vilnius Tourist Information Centre introduces a newly issued publication with the information about the most important events in the capital city and surroundings of Vilnius in 2014. This publication is relevant for city guests, who plan a trip to Vilnius in advance, and the locals, who wish to spend their leisure time in an interesting and meaningful way.

Organisers of meetings industry event CONVENE, which showcases the Baltic Sea Region, are once again expecting huge interest. The event launched to great acclaim last year and preparations for CONVENE 2014 are already well underway. Lithuania will again welcome international buyers to the city of Vilnius, where the gems of the emerging Baltic meetings industry will be on display.

It is said that every day spent without a smile is a lost day. What is more, most smiles start by another smile. This summer in the capital of Lithuania – Vilnius – a tool called Happy Barometer to measure the happiness of citizens based on personal input was launched. On the website www.happybarometer.com everyone can search their city and record their happiness level.

Vilnius, Kaunas, Druskininkai and Palanga are already fighting in the urban battle for the LIKE sculpture. Have you decided which army of supporters you are going to join and which city will you award with your “LIKE”?

International festival Vilnius City Fiesta is one of the most important multi-art form events in Vilnius, it's the main and most spectacular festival of Vilnius with high artistic level actions dedicated to all citizens and city guests.

Do you think you know Vilnius? Prove it! Vilnius invites guests to test their knowledge of Vilnius by participating in the online Vilnius Quiz. The Quiz features a series of questions about Vilnius' past and present. Those who answer all 10 correctly may enter for a chance to win a prize. Only one entry will be allowed per participant. To participate please click here.

Vilnius Walking Tours till the 15th of September!

Don't miss the opportunity to see Vilnius Old Town. Tours are organised until 15 September in English, Russian & German languages and start at 11 am from Cathedral Belfry. Tickets are available in Vilnius Tourist Information Centres and at the Cathedral Belfry before the tour.

Coming to Vilnius? Make sure you don't miss anything with Vilnius Tourism City Guide. From top tourism destinations to the city's hidden gems, Vilnius Tourism City Guide is like a local by your side as you discover everything the city has to offer. Vilnius Tourism City Guide is a 100% offline, so you will not get a huge phone bill for the internet. Available for iOS and Android.

With autumn on Vilnius' doorstep, fans of early – medieval, Renaissance, Baroque – music will be able to enjoy various programmes that will satisfy the tastes of even the most refined music gourmands. Famous collectives from abroad shall entice us on journeys through Europe's ancient lands while programmes reflecting our country's heritage shall also be featured.

“nowJapan” – the biggest traditional and contemporary Japanese culture festival in the Baltic states – returns for the fifth time this autumn, September 10th-15th.The festival aims to bring all of the variety Japan has to offer for a week-long stay in Vilnius.

The most active masters of crafts and culinary of national communities as well as virtuosos of songs and dances will come to the Fair. During the Fair locals and city guests will have an opportunity to take a look at national handmade pieces of work, they will be introduced to traditional dishes of various nations as well as the subtleties of the way to prepare them and a great variety of recipes.

Start and finish just in front of the belfry of Vilnius Cathedral 2013-09-15

Vilnius Marathon will enter lovelly Vilnius old town for the first time in its history. New race course will take runners to Gediminas, Vilniaus, Vokieciu streets, pass six churchers and cross four bridges. Enjoy Vilnius old town while running.

CONVENEWS

2013 August

Dear CONVENE friends,

Welcome to another edition of CONVENEws. I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful summer and have a spare minute for the latest news from the Baltic Sea Region.

New exhibitors' registrations for CONVENE 2014 are now arriving on our desk, and it's time for me to let you know that CONVENE Hosted Buyer registration will open on 2nd September. Make sure you keep a note of the date, so you can be first in line to join meeting planners from all over Europe at CONVENE 2014.

As you will read in this newsletter, CONVENE has been a huge success, helping companies develop new partnerships and inspiring them with new business ideas, so do not miss this opportunity to boost your business.

This year has been significant for Lithuania, as we have witnessed the opening of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. As soon as it opened in July, the Palace became the top venue for gala events in Vilnius. I am very excited to announce that it will be presented during the CONVENE 2014.

Thanks to co-operation agreements with our partners at the Meetings Show UK, the Baltic Sea region was presented at this new industry event in London. Vilnius Convention Bureau, together with Tallinn Convention Bureau and suppliers from the region, have witnessed great interest in the Baltic Sea Region from meeting planners in the UK and other European destinations.

Building on the success of this year's event, we are convinced that CONVENE 2014 is going to be even more lively, exciting and beneficial for Hosted Buyers, Exhibitors and Visitors, which is why I'm really looking forward to opening Hosted Buyer registration on the 2nd of September.

I'll be in touch with you again closer to that date, but in the meantime, have a look over the rest of our newsletter, and do enjoy the rest of the summer.

With warmest greetings, Jolanta Beniuliene Exhibition Director

What's New?

Vilnius opened doors of a new spectacular venue for international meetings

The former political, diplomatic, and cultural centre of Lithuania - the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania - one of the most famous centres in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries, was opened in the official opening ceremony of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council on July 6, 2013. The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania offers fantastic Gothic, Renaissance and Early Baroque halls for different size events.

Success Stories

CONVENE exhibition provides a great platform to showcase the regional meetings industry and accelerate the interest in, and demand for, holding meetings, incentives and conferences in the Baltic region. We are continuing to tell the success stories of the CONVENE 2013 exhibitors. In this issue we present GooGPS company which reveals its success formula: be innovative, be first and be seen. Would you like to share your success story?

Meet Them

Meet CONVENE Partner Hotels

COMFORT Hotel LT and ARTIS Centrum hotels were two of the first ones to extend partnership with CONVENE and to provide accommodation for hosted buyers as well as special offers for exhibitors. Let's get to know them better.

Behind the Scenes

The Meetings Show UK on the spotlight

CONVENE partner - The Meetings Show UK - is a major new event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry. The CONVENE team attended the three day inaugural event in the beginning of July and came back with great impression and inspirations.

It's already one month since Lithuania took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. We would like to share with you some interesting facts and invite you to take a glance to some of the numerous events which already took place and to see how local organisers make these events exclusive and spiced up with Lithuanian traditions.

The National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is now open! There are two exhibition tour routes related to the historical functions of this residence. The first tour will acquaint the visitors with the very rich and important archeological findings. The second tour will bring the visitors into the ceremonial halls, which have been reconstructed in such a way as to show the evolution of main architectural styles.

St. Bartholomew's fair is revived in Vilnius by organizing a festive event of Renaissance crafts, arts and guild traditions. During the fair the demonstrations and lessons of different crafts will be held. The craftsmen taking part are goldsmiths, sewers, weavers, shoemakers, tanners, woodworkers, hoopers, potters, stained-glass masters and others.

A new hotel in Vilnius – Campanile Vilnius Airport Hotel - will open its doors in September this year. The Campanile brand is managed by major worldwide player in the global hotel industry – Louvre Hotel Group. This economy class hotel will be the first hotel in Baltics opened by Louvre Hotel Group.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour Discover Vilnius Old Town. Tours are organised in English, Russian & German languages and start at 11 am from Cathedral Belfry.

In the courtyard of Vilnius Picture Gallery Piano.lt Summer Music Festival will be held from 9th till 30th of August. The programme consists of six concerts. Six impressive, unforgettable evenings of finest music.

On August 25th the city of Vilnius will host the cycling competition “Velomarathon” for the 4th year in a row. The race will be divided into three groups: children's, amateurs, and sports. The track of the “Velomarathon” is situated at the very heart of Vilnius, the old town.

The Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum is a new unit of the Lithuanian Art Museum, open to public from 28 of June. Vytautas Kasiulis has fully deserved to be called by art reviewers as one of the most interested painters of Paris school of the second half of 20th century.

Music jingling all night long from the abandoned backyard in Vilnius old town, never-ending movie show in the meadow at the Baltasis Bridge, concerts, performances, exhibitions, workshops, and installations taking place on the streets, squares, and the most unexpected spaces... The entire city is filled with music, colors, lights, and smiles. And this is not a dream or a motive from a motion-picture. All this is the Culture Nighte.

Starting July 15th, bikes will be available for self-serve rental for Vilnius residents and visitors. At the rental stations, bikes will be available for rent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The stations will be distributed at distances of 300-400m from each other. The bike rental season will extend to October 15th.

If you came to Vilnius on your own and want to become acquainted with the city, to see its most beautiful sites, we invite you to join the tour Discover Vilnius Old Town. Tours are organised in English, Russian & German languages and start at 11 am from Cathedral Belfry.

This is an international Christopher Summer Festival that abides by the rule “all genres are good except the boring ones”. It is one of the biggest summer events in Vilnius, which attracts numerous performers from Lithuania and other countries. A limitless, happy, eclectic marathon of fun “holiday” concerts is about to begin!

The past will rise from the oblivion in the ancient capital of Lithuania. Festival of experimental archaeology is dedicated to commemorate the Coronation of Mindaugas – the Statehood Day. During the festival visitors will have a possibility to try various medieval games and funfairs, watch the craftsmen work.

July 12-14 – that's the weekend, when Lithuanians and their friends from all over the World are going to Trakai. Friendly atmosphere, tones of music, love, entertainment, games, beautiful nature and water – this festival is “a must” of this summer.

CONVENEWS

2013 June

Dear CONVENE friends,

Let me invite you to have a look at our first summer edition of CONVENEws. Now it is the best time to plan the future and CONVENE team has already started acting – we will be way much stronger and better next year, so save the date for CONVENE on 12–13 February 2014!

I am happy to announce that the exhibitors‘ active registration has already started. Book your stand space now at www.convene.lt and you will get the best place for the best price! A success story presented for you in this issue of CONVENE newsletter will make your decision much easier, as it seems that CONVENE came as a breath of fresh air and boosted cooperation in the industry. Moreover, if you still haven‘t made up your mind yet let‘s meet at The Meetings Show UK in London on 9–11 July 2013!

CONVENEws will also let you get behind the scenes of preparation for the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council. Lithuania is launching a national air carrier what makes Vilnius even more easy to reach. The CONVENE team is looking forward to meeting you and showing the best Vilnius has to offer. Meanwhile, enjoy reading CONVENEws.

CONVENE is happy to announce that the meeting and event planners from all over Europe are able to fly directly and comfortably to and from Vilnius with two new airline companies that started operating in Lithuania from June.

This year is a golden year for Lithuanian meeting and conference professionals, as it is going to host approximately 30 000 guests and 200 events in a capital city Vilnius. We have been preparing for this whole year and now it‘s time to shine!

CONVENE 2013 was the first exhibition and matchmaking event for the meetings and events professionals in the Baltic states bringing together 115 Hosted Buyers from 21 country and 58 exhibitors from 6 countries with 2400 pre-booked individual meetings. Following the impressive debut CONVENE 2014 is planned to be bigger by 30%.

Success Stories

ViaConventus: "CONVENE 2013 was an opportunity you can't miss"

ViaConventus - a professional congress organising company and an official organising partner of CONVENE participated as an exhibitor at CONVENE 2013. The company had 43 individual meetings during the two day event and made useful contacts with some really big sharks in the industry.

Conventa trade show offers a hand to emerging meeting industry providers from the South East Europe region. Meeting providers coming from countries with a lower trade per capita have a chance to apply for Conventa wild card, a "helping hand" programme that gives them an opportunity to exhibit at Conventa 2014 show free-of-charge.

The improved and visually stunning Finland Convention Bureau website takes congress destination Finland to new heights online. The newwww.fcb.fifeatures the country's venues, destinations, suppliers, industry news, and more in a package that pleases the eye.

Behind the Scenes

IMEX 2013 - we were there!

IMEX, being a wordwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings, and events, hosted 14 730 participants this year in Frankfurt on 21-23 May, and Vilnius Convention Bureau was there too! IMEX provided an outstanding opportunity to showcase Vilnius as a good meeting destination and present the future plans of CONVENE.

CONVENEWS

2013 May

Jolanta Beniuliene Exhibition Director

What's New?

CONVENE starts it‘s second year

The Vilnius Convention Bureau undertook a major project this year launching meetings tradeshow CONVENE ‐ the first event of its kind in the Baltic Sea Region. The premier meetings industry event CONVENE was widely heralded a huge success, winning praise from hosted buyers, visitors and exhibitors alike.

Exhibitors are invited to book their stands and to get ready and steady for the 2014 show edition which will be held on 12-13 February and which will be even better and bigger. CONVENE 2014 will be supported by tailor made education programme. The CONVENE team encourages exhibitors to share in our success and benefit from our show marketing by reserving your stand at CONVENE 2014 as quickly as possible.

The Baltic nation of roughly 3 million people will be at the center of attention since the second half of 2013 as a holder of the Presidency of the European Union Lithuania will host around 200 events in its capital Vilnius with some 30 000 delegates.

Meet Them

Regional Ambassador programme launched

The CONVENE Ambassador Programme will promote the event and provide outreach in the Baltic Sea region for the meetings industry professionals. The programme will provide valuable insights as well as embrace not only the institutional ambassador representation, but also individual ambassadors.

After the winter break highest building in Vilnus Old Town opens on 29th of April. Campanile of Sts Johns church is 68 meters high. Take the elevator or go up the wooden stairs to admire the red roofs of Vilnius. Also you can visit the Science museum on the ground floor of the campanile.

Vilnius invites you to admire impressive Baroque and Gothic masterpieces and get acquainted with the exciting history. Guided walking tours are organised from 15th of May. Tours are organised on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11:00 from Cathedral belfry.

Design Week invites all interested in design, creation and innovation to come to this event, where you will be able to visit exhibitions, conferences, participate in workshops and see the best of Lithuanian design.

The biggest contemporary dance festival in the Baltic countries “Naujasis Baltijos šokis” comes to Vilnius for the 17th time. Programme of the festival consists both of well established companies with famous productions and new young companies/choreographers with experimental works.

Street Musician Day is the event which unites all who speak the world's most universal language – the language of music. On this day Vilnius and other Lithuanian cities and towns engage into the fest of free creation and socialising between musicians and the public.

With a view to promoting the capital of Lithuania abroad, Vilnius City Municipality has designed a new Vilnius city brand. The main news of the new communication strategy is Vilnius LOGIK – a tune of exceptional and unexpected attributes that are only incidental to the capital of Lithuania.

The airline Air Lituanica increases the number of flights on its routes on summer season schedule. Air Lituanica aircrafts will take off from Vilnius Airport 43 times a week. The new destinations on the summer season flight schedule – the Danish town Billund, Goteborg and Malmo in Sweden. Starting from 31 August the airline Air Lituanica launches daily flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The traditional 9th design week will be held in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai and Telsiai on May 5th-11th, 2014. The main topic for this design week is “Design=Innovation” conceived to reveal the importance of design process and outcome in product creation and development.

The traditional Europe Day Fair is organised in Vilnius on May 9-11. This year’s fair is dedicated to the forthcoming European Parliament elections. The European Restaurant Fair in Gediminas avenue will invite the visitors to get acquainted with the cuisines of different European countries.

International Contemporary Dance Festival “New Baltic Dance” during 18 years of its existence has grown up into one of the main and most prestigious dance festivals in the Baltic Sea area. Programme of the festival consists both of well established companies and new young companies/choreographers with experimental works.

Street Musician’s Day is the event which unites all who speak the world's most universal language – the language of music. On this day all Lithuanian cities and towns engage into the fest of free creation and socialising between musicians and the public. In 2012 and 2013, the Street Musician’s Day was celebrated by the Lithuanian world communities in Paris, Copenhagen, York, Nottingham, Tallinn and etc.

This festival has been taking place in Vilnius since 1973 and this is one of the very few authentic festivals of folk music in Europe. Being the eldest folk festival in Lithuania it had and still has a great influence on all lithuanian folk movement. Furthermore, the festival is a great opportunity to introduce our ethnic culture treasures to foreign folk groups as well as guests of Vilnius.

World famous Travel photographer Ralph Velasco is visiting Vilnius this week. Ralph Velasco is planning to discover the most beautiful sites in Vilnius and its surroundings, share the unique experiences and present Vilnius as a new tourist destination for the photography lovers.

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, implements its further expansion plans in Lithuania: 4th Airbus A320 aircraft is added to its base in Vilnius airport and started 5 new routes to Billund, Munich-Memmingen, Stockholm, Glasgow and Kyiv.

CONVENE which is acknowledged as having a genuine style and a deserved reputation for excellent organisation, takes place on 10-11 February 2016 at Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO in Vilnius, Lithuania. Building on the success of the three first editions, CONVENE 2016 will present the very high quality hospitality and all that Vilnius has to offer. Registration is already opened atwww.convene.lt

VILNIUS NEWS

As Finnair Flight AY 131 from Helsinki descended into Vilnius 28 December, the pilot informed the passengers that their plane was carrying the one millionth visitor to Vilnius this year – a new record for the Baltic capital. Jenni U. was the lucky one – her ticket designated her the one millionth visitor to Vilnius this year.

The Vilnius City Card project, which is now in its eighth successful year, will again contribute to welcoming visitors to Vilnius. In 2017, the Vilnius City Card will offer visitors even more free leisure activities.

January is the high season for presenting Vilnius to foreign tourists. During this month specialists at Vilnius Tourist Information Centre will present the city to potential visitors at three international fairs: Matka Nordic Travel Show in Helsinki in Finland, Reiseliv 2017 in Oslo in Norway, and Holiday World Show Dublin 2017 in Dublin in Ireland.

An exciting and informative Education Programme is on offer for CONVENE 2017. This year’s list of guest speakers features a number of international meetings industry figures from around Europe who are eager to share and inspire industry professionals from across the Baltic Sea Region.

VILNIUS NEWS

This summer, from 14 July to 17 August, Vilnius Airport (VNO) will be closed for runway reconstruction. During this time, the majority of regular flights to Vilnius will be redirected to Kaunas Airport (KUN), which is only one hour away from Vilnius and has convenient public transport connections to Vilnius city center. All the information about about transportation options, durations and prices between Kaunas Airport and Vilnius is provided on our website.

During this period, we'll have two extra Tourist Information Centers for your convenience. One will be located in Kaunas Airport and will offer the most up-to-date information about the transportation timetables and related questions. The other one will be located in hotel Panorama, just next to the Bus Station and the Bus Stop where you'll arrive from Kaunas Airport.

If you want to experience the best of Vilnius and see some of our most beautiful sites, join our ‘Discover Vilnius Old Town’ walking tour. Tours take place daily at 11 a.m., and are held in English, German and Russian.

All you need is “Telia Nonmuseum” and just 15 minutes of your time to get to know Vilnius history. History does not hide behind a dusty glass here. For this once, a time travel will happen around you. Sit back and enjoy lasers and projections reviving the most iconic moments of Vilnius history: city’s triumphs and tragedies, architectural masterpieces, the most famous works of art that were created by the local artists and the most intriguing stories of our townspeople from 2 of June at Vokiečių street 4.

Don't get lost in a narrow streets of Vilnius Old Town. A newly published official city map will guide you. You can find it at Vilnius tourist information centres and hotels. Also you can download from our website.

If you’re a fan of panoramic views, you’re sure to appreciate that Vilnius has a number of lookouts that reward visitors with a bird’s-eye view of the city. Take to the sky atop one of our bell towers, or scale the hills surrounding the Old Town to watch the sun set over the city.